The Middle Of The End
by SupremeZombieLord
Summary: What If Shane had a sister? Callie Walsh went missing at age 8, taken by an uncle to a run-down trailer in the middle of nowhere. Here she meets Daryl, the son of her uncle's 'drinking buddy'. Years pass before she is reunited with her brother and mother; soon after the rising of the dead she sees Daryl and Merle again. How will she react? Eventual Daryl/OC
1. Chapter 1

**The Middle of The End**

**Chapter One: Happy Birthday, Big Brother**

**|WARNING: CONTAINS ABUSE|**

I was barely eight years old when I saw my father stabbed to death by my uncle, his brother. We had gone out to pick up the surprise birthday present for my big brother Shane; Mama sent us on a mission and we had to be back before Shane woke up.

"Daddy, what's the surprise? Can I pick it out?" I'd begged my parents to let me in on the secret but like always they didn't tell me.

"You'll see when we get there. First we have to make a quick run into Uncle Paul's." Daddy drove our minivan up a bumpy hill and I rolled my window down. It was going to be really hot. Hopefully Shane would take me to the lake when he went with his stupid friend Rick.  
The minivan slowed to a stop and I unbuckled my seatbelt. "No, you wait here. This won't take long."

"Awww!" I frowned, crossing my arms as I watched Daddy jog to Uncle Paul's secret shed. I was absolutely forbidden to go anywhere near it. A scary man with a pretty green bottle stumbled out onto the porch, and I locked the doors in a hurry. Uncle Paul and Daddy were screaming at each other. This was normal, they always yelled and then made up. Daddy was on his way to the van when Uncle Paul ran up behind him.

They were going to make up!

And that's when Uncle Peul pulled out a knife and stuck it in my Daddy's back. I tried to look away, but it's like something bad on TV that Mama doesn't want me to watch. You can't help but look. Daddy fell to the ground pretty quick, his white shirt painting itself red.

I screamed.

The man with the bottle said something and Uncle Paul stood up. He said something too and walked around in circles before stepping over Daddy and coming towards the van. I wasn't scared of Uncle Paul, just the other man. He had a mean look on his face, one I would learn to fear and hate with every fibre of my being.

"What did you see, Callie?" Uncle Paul asked me through my open window.

"We ain't got time for this, Paul. We need to get gone 'fore anyone comes lookin'." The scary man grumbled, his bottom lip twitching. "Kid saw the whole thing. Grab 'er an' let's go!"

I cried the whole day, eventually falling asleep in the backseat of a car. Shane and Mama were eating cake without me and Daddy all because Uncle Paul got mad and painted Daddy's shirt until he stopped moving.  
When I woke up, I was lying on the floor nexxt to a smelly torn-up couch and I got up to find a bathroom. The place looked like a dump, and smelled like one, too. The first door I opened was a small bedroom and someone was asleep on the mattress that lay on the dirty floor.

"Uncle Paul?" I called out after closing the door so I wouldn't wake them up. When no one answered I ran outside. Uncle Paul and that scary man were talking. "Where's Daddy, Uncle Paul?"

"He's dead you stupid brat. Now shut yer trap an' get back inside!" the man yelled at me, and I hurried back to my spot on the floor.

"Who're you?!" I looked up and saw a boy sitting on the couch. His brown hair was a mess, his shirt stained and dirty. I didn't say anything; he was the kind of kid Mama told me to stay away from.  
It was nighttime now and my stomach was growling noisily. I hadn't waten anything since yesterday's breakfast of bacon and waffles and boy was I hungry. I'd heard the man tell Uncle Paul not to give me any food, that he had something else for me. I wasn't allowed to move from my spot unless the man said so.

"I'm hungry! Gimme food!" I cried out and the man glared.

"Shutup!" he threw a handful of stale bread crusts at me, which I threw back at him. He turned to Uncle Paul."You gon' let 'er get 'way with disrespectin' me like that?"

"She's just a kid. Maybe-" Uncle Paul began to protest.

"Think my boy'd try to pull that shit? No. Teach 'er a lesson or I will." As soon as they were finished taking their turns hitting me with a belt, the man called the boy out. "Get 'er cleaned. She looks like shit."

"Yessir." the boy mumbled, helping me up. I cried harder as he wiped my face with a wet rag. "What's yer name?"

"Callie." I sniffled and told him how Uncle Paul painted Daddy's shirt with his knife, asking who the man was.

"My father. Sorry 'bout yours." he looked quickly behind him and back to the rag in his hands. "I guess you're stayin' here for a while."

"I wanna go home!" I couldn't stay here, Mama and Shane would miss me too much.

"I know. But ya can't. So listen up; if you wanna stay alive do what they say. I mean it, anythin' they tell ya." he helped me put my shirt back on as gently as possible. "I'll be right back." While he was gone, I sat on the toilet and had what was probably the best pee in my life. I was buttoning my shorts when he came back in. "Come on. I made you a bed." 

For the next three weeks I was kept in a dark room with little food and water. The boy, daryl, snuck me any food he could. When his father and Uncle Paul went out to get drunk, we would watch the two TV stations. My face was all over the news, and Uncle Paul was wanted by police.

"They're back! Quick get back in the closet!" Darl turned off the TV and I ran down the hall pushing the closet door shut just before they stomped inside. We'd been caught before, and we payed for it.

"Boy, bring out the girl." I heard someone slur and Daryl opened the door. "Hurry up! I ain't got all night!"

"We're comin'!" he snapped, knowing it would earn him a good slap. I walked in front of him to the kitchen table.

"Sit." Uncle Paul ordered, pointing to a chair. I hopped on it and he set a can in front of me, a can of that awful smelling liquid. "Now drink."

"But-" I protested.

"Shut up and do as I say, girl." Uncle Paul's fist hit the table and I picked up the can, taking a sip. It was horrible! I spit it out, throwing the can on the floor.

"I ain't drinkin' no more of that!"

"Clean that mess, boy." Will, his father, growled and began unbuckling his belt. "What ya think, Paul? Should we?"

"Nah, Let's get 'em both good an' drunk." Uncle Paul smirked and pulled Daryl up by the back of his shirt.

"Lemme go!" he fought, kicking and swinging his balled up hands.

"Shuddup and drink, ya little shit stirrers." Will placed cans in front of us and there was nothing we could do but obey. Daryl must've done this before because he'd downed the first can in minutes. I was nearly forced to drink and gagged over the taste. Soon my body and head felt fuzzy and I couldn't stop giggling. I wet myself, and Uncle Paul and Will kept laughing. Daryl was crying in a corner for someone named Merle.

"Yer brother ain't gon' save ya, so quit yer fuckin' whinin' boy!" Will kicked Daryl, laughing when he tried to fight back.

"Ain't no one's gonna save you, neither." Uncle Paul pointed a greasy finger in my face and drug me by the hair back to the closet.

**=c=c=c=c=c=c=c=c=c=c=c=c=c=c=c=c=**

Almost a year had passed, and since I'd grown out of my clothes long ago, I was given Daryl's torn hand-me-downs. The day Merle first made an appearance, Will and Uncle Paul were disciplining us for some reason or other. They stopped right away. Daryl's brother was mean. Not with his hands, but his words. As usual Uncle Paul and Will went out drinking so I was left alone with the brothers. I'd grown used to being called awful things but Merle just got under my skin, making me believe I deserved it all. Of course, Daryl told him to lay off when I ran to the closet in tears.

The summer was spent in the woods watching them hunt. I was taught how to skin and gut everything they brought back, and I hated it. The smell of blood made me sick to my stomach.

I'd stopped talking, because it only seemed to get me in trouble. Sometimes, late at night, I would sneak to Daryl's room and tell him about the life I'd had before, what I could remember. He was the closest thing I had to an actual friend and we could relate with each other because we went through the same things every hour of every day. Will was starting to hit him more often. Uncle Paul had begun bringing drugs into the trailer and wanted me to take funny pills.  
Daryl, being two years older, knew what they were doing and protested. He went to school the next day with a black eye. I wasn't allowed to go, in case anyone recognized me and called the police. I really missed going to school and learning new things, so one day Daryl brought a workbook home and showed me how to multiply. It didn't take long for me to pick it up and soon Daryl was asking me to help with his homework. The teachers didn't like him too much because of his attitude and lack of interest. The things they wrote on his report cards made me sad. Why couldn't they see how brave he was? He really was smart, smarter than me. I wanted to write them a letter but I wasn't supposed to even exist. How would he explain that he had a girl living in his closet, one that was missing for over a year?

After one particularly bloody beating with Will's leather belt and a beer bottle smashed over my head, Daryl tried sneaking me to the hospital. He knew I would need stitches. He was the one who cleaned me up, as usual. Uncle Paul was busy with some woman on the couch and Will, passed out on the kitchen floor. I was losing blood and felt extremely dizzy so I was carried out the back door. We were halfway to town when Uncle Paul's truck pulled in front of us with a very angry Will driving.

"Get in this truck now, boy, or I'll kill the both of ya." He muttered harshly.

"No. She needs to see a doctor. An' stitches." Daryl started walking away when Will got out of the truck and grabbed Daryl by the neck. I fell to the ground and watched as Will took his anger out on his son, throwing him around like a ragdoll.

"Stop!" I threw a handful of rocks and dirt at Will, catching his attention.

"So now you talk." Will started for me, giving Daryl time to find something to use as a weapon. Before he had a chance to do anything, Merle rode by on a moterbike.

"Well what do we have here..." Merle coughed and Will stopped dead in his tracks, almost as if he was afraid.

"These two shitbags were tryin' to sneak off so I'm teachin' 'em a lesson." he kicked me hard in the ribs for good measure, a garbled sob escaping my cracked lips.

"I'll finish. You get back, and I'll be right behind ya." The last thing I remember was Will driving away, seconds before I blacked out.

Merle stitched up my head while I was asleep, and I woke with a splitting headache. My ribs were bruised and even Merle wanted to take me to the hospital. Doctors were against the rules especially right after a beating. Yes, there was alot of rules that couldn't be broken, unless we wanted to be smacked around. No talking back. No eye contact. The one rule I always seemed to break was no crying. Unlike Daryl, I had a low tolerance to pain, so I was nearly always crying.  
My eleventh birthday passed completely unnoticed by everyone but Daryl, who gave me a chocolate bar he'd most likely stolen. He'd shown me an old notebook with messy writing and dates, telling me it had been three years to the day that I'd been there.  
It was Shane's fifteenth borthday. I missed him most.  
Happy Birthday, Big Brother. You can't hear me but I love you.

**|So what do you think? Should I write more?**

**Please let me know!**

**Review, Favourite, Enjoy! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Middle Of The End**

**Chapter Two: Same Faces, Different People**

**(Before I start, thanks for the reviews, guys. Really gave me the push I needed to write this chapter.) NOTE. **_'Italicised font is Sign Language.'_

Uncle Paul died on Daryl's fourteenth birthday but I didn't find out until a week later during one of Will's drug-induced rages. Daryl was at school; I'd made him promise me he wouldn't drop out. He was my only outlet to the outside world. I couldn't even leave the backyard.  
At some point I think I'd developed a small crush on him, knowing nothing would happen because I wasn't pretty like the girls I sometimes saw on TV. I wasn't smart, or talented. I had no redeeming qualities. No one would ever love someone like me. I was told every day. Mama and Shane probably gave up on me, because they never came for me.  
The only way out was death.  
After my second failed suicide attempt, Daryl promised to get me out. Now that Uncle Paul was gone, Will was too drunk to keep tabs on me all the time. I could run to the police. And tell them what? I couldn't hardly talk anymore. My writing was so horrible it was hard to make out.

"Cal? You here?" Daryl called, throwing his school books in his room like he always did. I knocked twice on the closet floor. Will had locked me in before he left this morning. Daryl undid the various locks and opened the door. He gasped, "What happened?!"

"Got in the way." I whispered, slowly standing up. my head had been smashed through a window and dried blood made my hair stiff. We were used to seeing each other bruised and bloody, so I didn't understand why this time was so different.

"I'm gettin' you outta hare. C'mon." We'd barely gotten to the door when Will stomped in, eyes bloodshot and twitching angrily.

"The hell ya goin', boy?" he inched his way closer, beer belly jiggling like a bowl of jelly. I couldn't control myself and laughed. "Somethin' funny? Huh, lil bitch?!"

"Don't call 'er that, ya worthless fuck!" Daryl nudged me towards the couch. They were going to fight and I knew who'd win. I closed my eyes, waiting for it to be over. I opened them again and what I saw shocked me. Will was out cold, slumped against the fridge. "We need to find Merle. He'll know what to do."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

I remember almost nothing after that. I was found on a beach down in Florida by an elderly couple, who took me to the police station. I had a note pinned to my bloodstained shirt, explaining who I was and where I came from.  
It took a couple days before I was able to leave the hospital and Mama was contacted. She brought Shane along, and he cried the moment he laid eyes on me. He was so much bigger, more stronger, than Will or Daryl.

"Careful. She seems almost afraid to be touched." An officer told them. "She won't talk, either. Doc says it's post-traumatic stress disorder."

"Oh, my poor baby." Mama cried and Shane hugged her. They took her out of the room to talk, and Shane sat in a chair across from me. He looked so much like Daddy.

I burst into tears.

"Hey, don't cry!" he handed me a box of tissues and I stared at it, willing myself to stop crying. Before I was punished for breaking the precious rules. I wanted Daryl. Why did he have to leave? He _promised_ he would always be with me, no matter what.

Liar!

Mama and Shane took me home early the next morning. The front lawn was packed with news reporters with cameras, and I cried when they took pictures. One woman tried touching my arm and I freaked out; Shane had to carry me inside kicking and screaming.  
Christmas came and went. Mama was growing impatient with me because I refused to talk and one day when Shane had friends over, someone suggested Sign Language. Every day after school, Lori Davis came over and taught us how to Sign. I learned quickly and could sign so fast that Shane and Mama often told me to slow down. And then came the day when I was ready for them to know what I'd been through. Mama wanted Sheriff Grimes to be there and I agreed.

"This man, Will. Can you remember what his last name was?" Sheriff Grimes asked, and I shook my head. I knew, I just didn't want to get Daryl or Merle in trouble. They had done enough getting me out of that place. "And what about your Uncle? What happened to him?"

_'Died. Well, that's what I was told. He was probably killed in a knife fight or something.'_ I signed, shrugging my shoulders before telling them about the day I was taken.

When I was finished, Mama and Sheriff Grimes went to the kitchen for coffee.

_'Stop staring at me like that.'_ I glared at Shane.

"If anyone ever tries to touch you 'gain, you lemme know. I'll make 'em regret it. No one will ever hurt you again." Shane promised and I climbed over various pillows and a knitted blanket to give him a hug for the first time in close to six years.

Shane left for college as soon as he'd graduated high school. He and Rick were attending a police academy several hours away and would visit whenever possible. Mama began homeschooling me after three failed attempts in the public school system. Because of my helping Daryl with his school work, I graduated a month after turning sixteen.  
Every night I had horrible dreams involving Will and Daryl, with either Daryl ending up dead or Will lying in a puddle of booze drowning in his own blood. Sometimes Uncle Paul would make an appearance with that belt of his and I woke up either screaming bloody murder of crying hysterically. I hoped to one day find Daryl again, to see what had happened when he came back without me. Will would have been absolutely furious with him.  
Shane and Rick graduate from the Academy at the top of the class, and with honors. Mama and the Grimes' plan a huge party, inviting lots of friends and family members. It's several hours after the dinner when Lori tells me she's pregnant and that it's Rick's.

"I don't know what to do. My parents'll kill me; I've barely even passed any of my classes. And Rick's still got a world of opportunities. I can't do this to him."

_'You guys were gonna get married anyways, right?'_ I asked. Over the years, Lori and I had grown pretty close. Besides Daryl, she was the only friend I had.

"Well yeah, when we both had careers and steady incomes." Lori whispered. We were hiding in the bathroom, hoping to escape the roudy bunch of men and half drunk family members.

_'Tell him. He has the right to know. Everything will work itself out.' _

"You're right." She sighed and checked her makeup in the mirror.

"Hurry up in there!" someone banged on the door, and I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up." I mumbled. It was something Daryl had often whispered when Will called for us. I still missed him, but sometimes days would pass without a single thought of him. And it made me feel guilty. I didn't want to forget the one person who made life bearable in the darkest of times.

Twenty minutes later, I overheard Rick telling Shane he wanted to propose to Lori on her birthday, which was only several days away. Sheriff Grimes had offered the two office jobs down at the station and they were scheduled to start in a week. Things were working themselves out, like I'd told Lori. But not for me. My nightmares were only getting worse and I couldn't eat anything without getting sick. Mama was busy at work, too busy to notice how thin I was becoming.  
Lori was caught up planning for a wedding as well as getting ready for the new baby. She'd ended up dropping out of college and got a job as a waitress. Shane and I had been asked to be Maid of Honor and Best Man, which we agreed to right away. The day of the wedding, Lori was six months pregnant and very irritable. The ceremony went as planned and we were just leaving the church when her water broke.  
Carl Ross Grimes was born the next day, at nine pm. Because he was three months early they kept him in the NICU. Once his jaundice cleared up he was discharged and sent home. Lori was still sore from the emergency c-section; she'd had complications delivering naturally. Her mother stayed to help out for the first month, and had to go back to Atlanta before she lost her job. Rick was promoted, and shortly after, Shane was as well.  
A week after Carl's first birthday, Rick and Shane were transferred to the station in Macon, an hour's drive away. I spent weekends with Lori, helping with the housework and a neverending pile of laundry. One Sunday night, I was waiting for Mama to pick me up. It was unusual for her to be so late and I was starting to panic when the phone rang. It was Shane, saying he would be over with some bad news.  
Mama had been driving to the bakery downtown when some drunk driver ran a red light, smashing into Mama's car. She died on impact and felt little to no pain; Shane and Rick had been the ones on duty to recieve the call. Ambulances arrived first; Rick saw Mama on a stretcher, her face barely recognizable in the black body bag. Shane was looking the car over when he realized who it belonged to and would have killed the drunk man if he hadn't been held back.  
Mama was buried beside Daddy and the baby she lost before Shane was born. I moved in with Shane, and he got a bigger apartment. Mama had left the house to us in her will, as well as her trust fund. But we couldn't stay in that house for more than two days without losing ourselves in memories, so we packed everything up to put in storage and sold the place. Some of Mama's more ignorant family memmbers told Shane to lock me up in an institution. He kicked them out of the funeral home and made it known he wanted nothing more to do with them. That night though, I was worried that maybe he would send me away.

"What's wrong? You've been actin' weird ever since we got home." Shane asked after we finished eating supper.

_'You aren't going to send me away, are you?'_

"No. Never. You're here to stay, so I can keep you safe. So long as I'm alive, you'll never be sent away. And even then I'll have somethin' planned. Don't you worry your pretty lil head." he hugged me and we spent the night watching movies on TV. When Shane went back to work several days later, I found I didn't really have anything to do. I began crocheting and quiltmaking, and spent the next four years establishing my own online business. Baby quilts and blankets were my best sellers, bringing in the most profit. I donated alot of the money I made to local charities, the hospital, and schools. Several news stations and newspapers interviewed me, and I had Lori translate for me. I was contacted by producers in Hollywood who wanted to make movies about my life, but I declined. I didn't want everyone knowing my name.

"Is there anything else you would like to say? To anyone in particular out there?" the female news reporter asked me near the end of my last interview.

_'There is, actually. To the one who risked his life getting me out of that prison, I hope you see this. I still think about you every day. You helped me in ways I can't explain. Thank you for being there, for bringing me to my family.'_ I smiled and listened as Lori spoke. I wondered how Daryl was doing for the past week. If he'd kept his promise to stay in school, if he ended up on drugs like his brother. Who had he turned out to be? I wanted to know.  
Lori, Carl, and I went out for lunch and ran into Sheriff Grimes' brother, the other Sheriff Grimes. He was retiring soon. He planned on Rick following in his footsteps as the new sheriff. Once Rick was in charge, I would ask him to search for Daryl and Merle. There was no doubt in my mind the two of them would have broken a few laws over the last few years. I knew Merle would definitely show up, because he'd been in juvie, a number of detention centers, and spent six months in prison. He could be a real asshole.

**|Within the next two chapters, I'm thinking the Dixons will return. Callie is still mad at Daryl for just leaving her and will have plenty of things to say.**  
**Like it? Let me know!**  
**Review, Favourite, Enjoy! :)**  
**Check out my other Walking Dead fanfics, **_**I Am Bulletproof **_**and **_**I Am Titanium.**_** They aren't too bad; my mother seems to like them.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Darkest Night**

When Shane got promoted to Deputy, we bought a small house. The apartment was too crowded, and I needed room for all the stuff I'd made. I'd been working on a children's clothing line inspired by Carl. I partnered with several online stores and launched the line in August of 2005. The first year was spent promoting through magazine ads and commercials on TV. It didn't take long for me to create a new line for teens and young adults who were part of the alternative/punk-rock subculture.  
Yes, I wore the clothes I made. They were what caught the attention of several of my favourite bands, and I had more work ahead of me. I'd been hired to creat several wardrobes for musicians going on tour. Every couple of days I held fittings, to see where I needed to make adjustments.  
All my clients were amazing to work with and wanted to help with sales, so they promoted me while on tour. I was now the rival of Hot Topic; fashion magazines asked me to write columns. Who knew I'd be this successful?  
By the age of twenty six, I had seven clothing stores in two states. Five in Texas, two right in Georgia that I managed myself. The money never really mattered to me, I did what I loved to do and that made it worthwhile. I had three assistants - Robyn, Clark, and Bruce, who helped run the website and the stores in Texas. Robyn became one of my closest friends, and I knew for a fact that Shane had grown fond of her, and she secretely liked him too.  
I set the both of them up on a blind date, just to see what would come of it and wasn't surprised when Shane asked her on a second date.  
While everyone was busy with thier own lives, I made the decision to begin searching for Daryl. Nothing came up on random Google searches so I hired a private detective. Silas Arnold was the best of the best and I made it clear that he was not to be discovered by anyone. If Shane knew what I was doing, he would have a fit. When I mentioned a while back that I wanted to find the son of one of my tormentors he forbade it. Although back then I'd just turned seventeen and he was my legal guardian. I was a successful adult now, but that didn't change Shane's overprotectiveness.  
Not even three months after I'd hired Silas, Rick was shot during a car chase. He spent eight hours in surgery and fell into a coma. Doctors said he would wake up, that it was just a matter of time. Lori and Carl only left the hospital for school and a change of clothes. But that was before all the weird stories on the news began. People were being attacked by others. They were being bitten.  
There were reports of extreme cannibalism and it was happening everywhere. Schools were closed and a shelter, a refugee camp of some sort, in Atlanta had started taking people in. Rick was supposed to be flown over, but something went wrong. Shane was the last one to see him, and told us Rick had died. That the hospital was full of infected biters, and out best bet was to head for the shelter in Atlanta.  
Robyn hadn't been answering her phone or texting back so while Lori packed, Carl and I drove down the block to Robyn's house. The door was unlocked adn that's when I knew something was wrong. She always locked her door.

"Robyn? Are you here?" Carl called out and a loud crash came from the bedrooms upstairs.

_'Stay here. I'll be right back.'_ I told him and ran to Robyn's bedroom. I pushed the door open; she was on the floor, a nasty gaping bite on her right arm. She looked up at me and I knew right then she'd been infected and had turned into one of those monsters not too long ago.

"Did you find her?" Carl asked me after we'd left the house. I shook my head.

**d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d**

The highway was one huge traffic jam. Everyone was headed for the same place, and the amount of people freaking out and starting fights was enough to trigger a panic attack. Shane and Lori went to check something out, leaving Carl and I with a woman named Carol, her husband Ed (who reminded me of Will for some reason), and daughter. I stuck to Carl like glue.

"My name's Sophia. Your dad seems nice." the little girl introduced herself.

"He's not my dad!" Carl frowned. "My dad's dead."

"Oh. Sorry. Want some candy? I found it in the kitchen before we left."

When Shane and Lori returned I told Carl to stay with Sophia and went ahead a couple cars to an RV, where Shane, Lori, Sophia's parents, and several other people were talking.

"Are you sure that's what happened?" a woman with curly blonde hair asked. From what Shane and Lori said, Atlanta had been napalmed.

"We can't stay here." a Hispanic woman held onto her husband's arm tightly. "We have kids asleep in the car."

"I know of a place, about a mile away. But we'll have to figure out a way off the highway first." The man who owned the RV said. It took a couple hours to weave our vehicles away from the chaos on the road but we got out nonetheless. He led us to a clearing, where we stopped to rest. No matter how hard I tried, I could not seem to sleep. I took Shane's gunt and went for a walk around the caravan, only stopping when I heard two men talking.  
They wanted to rob us blind!

"Who's there?!" one of them called out and I ran back to the car. I thought it over and chose not to tell Shane about thier plans unless I had more proof.

The next morning we chose an appropriate spot to set up camp and get acquainted. Andrea, the woman with the blonde curly hair, and her younger sister Amy. Dale, who drove the RV. Glenn, an Asian, and his friend, a black man named T-Dog. The Hispanic couple were Morales and his wife Maria, thierr son Davie, and daughter Alice. Jim was a middle aged man who had lost his family on the third day of the outbreak and he didn't really talk much. The two men I'd heard talking last nigth looked extremely familiar and my suspicions were confirmed by Jacqui, Andrea's friend.

"From the look on your face, I take it you know them." Andrea told me. "Shane said you can Sign; so can I. Several of my cousins were deaf."

_'Excellent! And yeah, I knew them. I haven't seen either of them since I was thirteen.'_ I went on to tell her how I'd been kidnapped and founf on that beach in Florida. _'Shane didn't want me to contact them. A few months ago I hired a private detective, and never really heard much from him, other than they were two people not to mess with. I don't think they even recognize me.'_

"Maybe. I think Daryl might have a clue, though. He's been looking over here quite often." Andrea pointed out and I glanced at my old friend. It had been fifteen years since I'd seen him last; his hair had been cropped to his head and he'd really filled out. No longer that awkward boy I once knew so well. When he caught me staring, I grinned and waved. He picked up a crossbow and walked over to his truck. As kids, he always told me how much he'd wanted a truck. Promising he would take me anywhere I wanted. I was angry at him, but at the same time, grateful. Even though he'd broken all those promises he had brought me back to my family.

_'I need to talk to him.'_

"What's stopping you?"

_'First off, he can't sign. There's no way he would be aboe to understand what I have to say.'_

"Write a letter, maybe? I'm pretty sure Dale has some paper in that RV." Andrea had a good point, and came back with an 80 page notebook and a blue ballpoint pen. "I'll leave ya to it."

_'Thanks.'_ Smiling, I picked up the pen and opened to a clean page. Everything I'd been wanting to say all these years, I wrote down. A couple pages were tearstained by the time I finished, and I wasn't sure if I should go through with it and actually hand the notebook over to Daryl. Before I could chicken out, I got up and forced myself over to where he was sitting with his brother.

"Read." I gave it to him and rushed off to the RV. That was the first time I'd spoken to anyone in a really long time, and my voice was hoarse. It sounded much different than I'd remembered.

A couple days went by, and I wondered if he'd read it yet. He seemed to avoid me, but that didn't surprise me. Merle had a strange effect on Daryl; he always had. It bothered me.  
Something else that bothered me was Ed, Carol's husband. He was controlling. His daughter feared him. And Carol always had fresh bruises in the morning that she tried to hide, they were no doubt from him. Lori, Jacqui, and Andrea had all noticed it too. But we couldn't really do anything because it was their marriage, their business.  
I found it hard to sleep at night so I usually sat on top of the RV with whoever was on watch duty. When Glenn's three hours were up he said goodnight and climbed down the ladder. I was expecting Dale or Andrea, and almost hyperventilated with Daryl's crossbow was tossed up. He sat in the foldable camping chair next to me, not saying a word.

"I read the letter. An' I wrote somethin' for you, too. But some things I need to say face to face." he took the rolled up notebook out of his back pocket and held it with both hands. "This might sound creepy but I've kept tabs on you. Got a business card with yer name an' email on it. Never had the balls to send ya a message an' I'm sorry for that."

I reached a hand out for him to take, but he thought I wanted the notebook. I shook my head, smiling, until he clued in and held my hand.

"I missed you." I breathed, my voice barely a faint whisper.

"Cal? You up there?" Shane called and Daryl dropped my hand immediattely. Shane wasn't a big fan of the Dixons. In fact, I think he hated them. To him they were just worthless redneck hicks waiting to be thrown in jail. And they knew it. "I thought I told ya to stay away from him, and his brother!"

**|Ooh, cliffie! What will happen next? Will Callie tell her brother where to go, or will Daryl?! Stay tuned to find out!**

**So I'm going on vacation for a week starting next Saturday and I will try to have another chapter up before I leave. By the looks of things, maybe two. MAYBE.**

**Review, Favourite, Enjoy! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Middle Of The End**

_**Reviewers: **__**h- **__**Thanks! Hope you enjoy this chapter. **_  
_**The Reading Dead-**__** At first I wasn't so sure that they should remember each other but then I thought... what if Daryl kept tabs on her throughout the years? What if he was never too far away if she needed help? And yeah, that was a pretty interesting book.**_

**Chapter Four: Trying To Get To You**

"An' what's that supposed to mean, huh?!" Daryl jumped up, chair flying off the side of the RV and onto the ground. "You ain't the boss o' her!"

"Well, uh first off, she's _my_ sister. I've looked after her for eleven years. Protected her. And what have you done? Nothin'." Shane took my arm and pulled me up. "C'mon, Callie."

"The only reason she's even here right now is 'cause I risked everythin' to get her away from that vile man. You ain't got no **idea** what I done for her!"

Shane's grip on me tightened and I began to cry. This seemed to anger Daryl even more and he lunged for Shane.

"Stop! Just stop!" I sobbed and tried to pull free from my brother's grasp.

"Did you... just..." he looked at me in awe and I glared at him.

"Go the fuck to bed. Now." I told him. I'd spent years doing everything Shane told me and I was getting tired of it. He stood there staring at me like an idiot. "Shane! Go. Go!"

"O...okay." he left and I crawled over to my chair. The notebook was there, but Daryl wasn't. I was alone. I picked it up and looked it over; the pen bookmarked the last page Daryl wrote on. I flipped back and began to read, my flashlight shining on the lined page.

_"Cal,"_ It read, _"Yes, I finshed school. Just barely though since things were so bad at home. The second I turned 18 I was outta there. Drifting with Merle, doing things I knew you wouldn't approve of. And I'll be honest. I was in jail more than once. I tried so hard to forget you. But how could I, when you haunted my dreams at night?_  
_"Merle was the one who wanted to leave you on that beach, drugged up like that. I didn't talk to him for a whole year because of it. Leaving you was wrong. Especially like that, alone. Then you were in the paper with your ma and Shane. The tv, too. I just so happened to be around when you were on tv with Lori. Couldn't believe it was you, that's how different you looked. Then at the end when you thanked __**me**__, said you thought about __**me**__ all the time. Me, scum of the earth, when you could want anyone. I knew the pain I'd went through for you was worth it."_

I had to stop when the sun came up and Andrea climbed the ladder to begin her watch. _'Hey.'_

"He gave it back?! What happened last night? I heard fighting." she sat next to me, binoculars and shotgun in hand.

_'Shane saw me sitting with Daryl. Apparently he'd 'told' me stay away from Daryl and Merle. Then they went at it.' _I paused, wanting to try something.

"What is it? Your arm is bruised." She noticed the fresh bruises on my arm.

"I... talked." It felt weird moving my tongue in such ways after so long. _'I've never been scared of talking to Daryl. It's so messed up, all of it.'_

"Callie? Shane wants you." I followed Carl to the firepit we'd made the night before, and he went to play with Sophia and the other kids.

"You gonna tell me what happened last night or what?" Shane didn't even look at me, instead focusing his attention on sharpening a knife. "Don't bother signin'. I know you can talk."

I opened my mouth, tried to say something. But I couldn't. Nothing came out, and Shane was growing angrier by the second. It was scaring me.

"Come on! What you so scared of, huh?! I'm sick of this. Mama was, too. If it wasn't for Lori, you'd be in a _HOME._" he yelled and people were gathering around. "Do you not understand? Are you really that stupid, or what?!"

"The hell you yellin' at her for?" Daryl stomped over. "She ain't done shit to ya!"

It was all too much. My ears were ringing, nervous sweat ran down my face mixing with tears. I started pulling at my hair, like I used to when Uncle Paul and Will undid their belts and said horrible things, did awful unspeakable things. Things not even Daryl had been aware of.

"Shane. C'mon. We need to talk." Lori pulled Shane away, telling everyone to go back to what they were doing.

"You alright?" Andrea asked. I nodded, and she followed Amy back to the RV. But I wasn't alright, not by a longshot. I already had trouble breathing and my chest felt like it was being crushed. The beginning of a panic attack; Daryl caught me before I hit the ground.

"Hey. Calm down, focus on my voice. Breathe. Yer ok." he talked me through it like he had when we were kids, and it was over before I knew it. "You ready to stand up?"

"Water. Too hot." I whispered. "Don't go."

"How'm I gonna get you somethin' to drink if I stay here?"

"Take me... with you." I started to get up with his help and he led me to his truck, where Merle lay sleeping. I gulped down nearly a whole bottle of warm water when he woke up.

"Well if it ain't Darylena's lol sweetheart." he smirked, Daryl telling him to shut up. "You've sure grown up since I seen ya last."

I rolled my eyes. Some things never change.

We were running out of food, so Glenn, T-Dog, and Merle made a trip to Atlanta. Andrea and Amy asked Dale if they could use his canoe and fishing gear down in the quarry we'd been bathing and washing our clothes in. Daryl went out hunting and setting traps; I did my best to stay avoid Shaen while he was on his little man period. He and I had been sharing a tent but since he blew up at me for being around Daryl, I moved into the RV. I didn't want to be around him especially after what he'd said about Mama wanting me in a home.  
Carl was teaching Sophia how to Sign, and I noticed Lori going off with Shane. They'd been sneaking around, and I had a pretty good idea as to what they were doing. I knew Shane was hurting because Robyn was dead, they'd been pretty serious and he wanted to marry her someday. As long as it made Lori and Shane happy to be together then sure. As long as Carl didn't find out.  
I spent the rest of the day replying to Daryl's letter, sitting on top of the RV with Dale and Andrea. We got along really well and I considered them friends. Dale's wife died of cancer long before the infection hit, and Andrea had been a civil defense lawyer road tripping with Amy all the way from Florida before Amy began university in the fall. She'd wanted to be a child psychologist.

"Dale, take a look. I think they might be back." Andrea handed the binoculars over.

"Yep, it's them alright." he took off his hat, using it to wipe the sweat from his brow. "You two go on and see what they've got. I'll stay and keep watch."

"Alright. Let's go then, Callie." I followed her down the ladder and we weren't waithing long when Merle drove up, a trail of dust following behind him.

"Hey, Soul-less. Where's my brother?" he grinned, knowing Daryl wasn't around to stick up for me. He'd always called me Soul-less, because of my ginger hair. And you know what they say - Gingers have no souls.

"Anyways!" Glenn drew attention from me and popped the trunk. "We looted cars on the way back. Didn't find much in Atlanta. We couldn't even sneak in; too many geeks."

"We'll be able to make it work. With the fish, and whatever Daryl brings from his hunt." Jacqui nodded. I got bored of watching them look at cans of food and other stuff so I went down to the quarry for a swim. Carol and Sophia were sitting along the shorelone, holding each other and crying. I didn't want to disturb them so I turned and left.  
Sitting around the fire that night, I noticed Carol had bruises on her face and a black eye. Sophia looked alright from what I could tell but she was jumpy.  
Daryl had shot several rabbits, a raccoon, and a wild turkey. I'd offered to help prepare them but Shane didn't think it was necessary and sent me to help with sorting dried laundry.

"He means well, you know." Lori tried to make me feel better, but it only pissed me off.

_'Well he can 'mean well' elsewhere. And take his head out of his ass while he's at it.'_

"Callie!" Amy snorted, dropping the green shirt she'd been holding into a bucket of dirty soapy water. "Ah, shit."

_'I'm tired of being treated like a child. I've always hated being told what to do; you know this Lori. Sooner or later I will say something. And I don't care if Shane doesn't like it.'_ I picked up the plastic container that held Daryl and Merle's clothes and started walking up the rocky path back to camp. It didn't surprise me when I found Shane having a colorful conversation with the Dixons. Daryl said something and they stopped, Merle and Shane going their seperate ways.

"What's goin' on?" I asked as I handed him the folded clothes.

"Nothin'. Your brother's a prick though. Keeps tellin' me to stay away from you. Then Merle got into it and if you hadn't shown up I bet they woulda ripped each other's heads off." he sat the clothes on the back of his truck and I led him to the RV so I could give the notebook back. But it was nowhere to be found, and I suspected one person.

Shane.

I'd never be able to forgive him if he'd taken it. He had no right to go through my things and take something so personal. So Daryl and I went looking for him.  
There he was, sitting in that stupid Jeep of his reading through the missing notebook with a smug look on the face that looked so much like Daddy's. Right then I had the thought to shoot him with Daryl's crossbow.

He looked our way, "This shit's cute. Never woulda known you were the sensitive type, Daryl."

"Shuddup an' give that back!"

"Or what, Dixon? Ya gonna cry? Christ, you're fuckin' pathetic." He locked the notebok in the glove compartment and jumped to the ground. "I'll keep it until Callie can speak to me without Signin'."

_'I HATE you.'_ I signed and ran in the opposite direction, not caring about the dangers of going off on my own. That was Rule Number One - never go anywhere by yourself. Of course, I regretted it when I was nearly attacked and eaten by one of those things. It fell to the ground before it could get me, an arrow sticking out of its half-rotted head.

"Don't ever run off like that again, hear me?!" Daryl grabbed his arrow and yanked it out of the geek. "You could've been bit, or worse. You know this!"

He was too angry and it really freaked me out, so of course I cried. That was my reaction to nearly everything these days.

"Sorry I yelled at ya. Let's go back to camp; I'l roast you a squirrel. And maybe tonight when Shane's asleep I'll pick that stupid lock so we can get that notebook back. Sound good?"

"Yes." I mumbled and wiped my face with an old rag, handing it back when I was done. I hadn't had roasted squirrel since I was eleven, the last time I was made to go on Will's 'hunting' trips. They were my absolute favourite.

**|This took longer to write than expected. I'll be too busy to be able to actually get the chance to sit and write the next chapter by Friday. I have a bunch of packing and stuff to do before Saturday morning, which is when we're leaving. Can't wait!**

**So there was a LOT of Shane conflict, and it's only just beginning. He will get much worse after the return of Rick. **

**What did YOU think? Did you like it? Was it awful? Let me know!**

**Review, Favourite, Enjoy! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Middle Of The End **

_**Reviewers: h- Yea, Shane gets on mine too. Pain in the ass! Glad you're enjoying it! :)**_  
_**cemmia- Thanks, hope you like this chapter! :)**_

**Chapter Five: Picking Up The Pieces**

On Glenn's last run to Atlanta I asked if he could pick me up a small dri-erase board and a couple of markers so I could communicate with members of the group who didn't understand sign language. It was mainly for Daryl when he wasn't busy hunting or doing other things. We'd taken the notebook from Shane's Jeep and when he found out, he was beyond livid. I didn't care and began the process of emotionally detatching myself from him. This new world was bringing out the worst in him and I was the only one who could see it.  
Early this morning, Glenn left for a supply run into the city with Merle, Andrea, Jacqui, Morales, and T-Dog. They hoped to find more guns and ammunition because we were running dangerously low and Shane wouldn't stop yammering on about it.

"I'll see ya when I get back, alright?" Daryl said goodbye and headed into the woods for fresh meat. Shane and Jim were chopping firewood. Lori, Carol, and the kids were playing school with a math and history books; it was a bit pointless but seemed to give Carl and Sophia a sense of normalcy. After lunch, Lori snuck off. Shane was nowhere to be seen and I put two and two together. Screwing around, no doubt.  
Amy and I helped carol and Maria with laundry while waiting for the group to get back when Davie let us know that a very loud siren could be heard from the campsite. We followed him to the RV where Dale, Shane, and Lori were talking.

"What's going on?" Amy asked, "Do you think it's them?"

A red sportscar pulled up, the blaring alarm hurting my ears. Glenn got out, and Shane was yelling at him. Amy interrogated him about her sister. I went back to sit with Carl and we watched as everyone was reunited with loved ones. It bothered him, because he missed Rick. Lori told him it was ok, and that's when I looked up. Rick was standing next to one of the vans in disbelief.

"Lori." I pointed, and watching Carl as he ran to his father almost had me in tears. Rick was crying, Carl was crying. Lori was in shock and kept looking over at Shane.

I searched for Merle and that's when Glenn told me what had happened. Merle was being Merle, and it got him handcuffed to a roof. T-Dog had tripped and the keys fell down a drain; there wa no time to help him free so he was left there. Daryl was going to freak out when he got back from his hunt and everyone was dreading his reaction. Like his father, he was quick to anger and often unpredictable; compared to Merle he was the calmer one.  
After we'd eaten a meal around the fire, Rick began to tell us how he'd woken up in the hospital, and Ed tried making his fire bigger. Shane confronted him and Dale asked what we should tell Daryl, now that Merle had been left behind.

"We should tell him the truth." Andrea said, to which we agreed. The kids were soon put to bed, and I followed Andrea and Amy into the RV.

"Tomorrow should be interesting." Amy sighed and rolled her eyes.

And she had been right. Daryl's return was anything but quiet; a waker had gotten the deer he'd been tracking and from what Amy told me, it hadn't been pleasant. I stayed in the RV when Rick told him about Merle, not wanting to get caught up in the drama. When things quieted a bit, Glenn gave me directions to where Daryl was calming down. He was sitting on a large rock looking down at the quarry.

"Mind ya business and leave me the hell 'lone!" he growled and turned around to see who was there. "Sorry. Thought you was Andrea or Lori or someone." I sat crosslegged on the ground to give him space, not caring if I got my jeans dirty. "We're goin' back to get 'em first thing in the mornin'." he paused, "I have to. You know I do, he's all I got."

"Shane thinks it's a bad idea. That with half the men gone the group'll be in danger." I whispered. I'd overheard Rick and Shane discussing it with Dale and they did have a point; that I can't deny.

"Seriously gettin' tired of him." Daryl said and told me in detail what Shane could do to himself.

"You're so thoughtful." I said, smiling to myself. With Daryl I was talking more and I saw how it could make Shane angry. But he didn't understand the connection between us, how our shared experiences brought us close.

"There ya are, Callie. I've looked all over the place for you." Shane. He'd snuck up on us. "Still not gonna talk to me? Just this peice of redneck trash. I see how it is."

"He ain't trash, Shane." I stood up and faced my brother. "He's my friend and I want you to leave him alone."

"What if I don't? You gonna hide in a corner and cry?" he egged me on, not expecting me to say anything more. But I was tired of being voiceless, not taken seriously.

"No. I'm done crying. You're jealous. Rick's back, you don't have Lori anymore. Don't deny it, I've seen you two sneak off. I'm not stupid. You're hatin' on Daryl because I chose to talk to him, not you. The fact that I would rather open up to him bothers you, and you know it. Tryin' to force me to talk gets you nowhere. You should know this. And Daryl, he didn't force me to do anythin'. He's patient, and waits. Knows it works." I told him calmly, looking him dead in the eyes. Trying not to blow my cool. "For years you've tried to control me, even as I grew more successful with my business. I know how you work, Shane. You love being in charge. Always have. And if someone threatens that... you take 'em out."

Shane's face had turned a lovely shade of red and his nostrils flared. "You don't know what you're talkin' about."

"I'm pretty sure I do. Like I said, I ain't stupid. Now can you please just go? Before you do something I'm sure you'll regret later on."

"We're discussin' this later." Shane said as he walked back to the camp.

"No, we ain't." I muttered and turned around to see Daryl Smiling at me. "What?"

"Nothin'. Good job, though. I knew you could do it. Man, he's pissed at you." he picked up his crossbow. "You didn't have to defend me."

"I did. Shane has no right to treat you the way he has been. You're my friend. He needs to get over himself." my throat was beginning to hurt but I didn't care; now that I'd stood up to Shane I wanted to continue talking. I felt I could now.

"Rick's the one who left Merle on that rooftop."

"He's not a bad guy. Rick's one of the nicest people I know, even if he is a cop." Daryl led me back to his truck, showing me the squirrels he'd shot. I counted twelve in total and picked up the fattest one. "This one's mine."

"But I wanted that one."

"Too bad, I called it first. So it's mine." I grinned and held it out to him. "Kiddin'. You can have it."

"Nope, it's yers. I have 'leven more." he replied, taking out his knife to prepare them for what he called 'squirrel soup'.

**...0.0.**

Early the next morning, I snuck out of the RV and looked around. Everyone was still asleep in thier tents; I drank a cup of Daryl's soup, grabbed an apple, and cecked to see who was on watch. Andrea was sleeping in the white lawn chair; she wouldn't be able to see what I was about to do and blab to Shane.  
Just as I'd hoped, there were several boxes and one was nearly empty. I climbed inside, closed it, and waited. Sneaking into the van headed for Atlanta was easier than I'd thought it would be. I'd be in a lot of trouble when they discovered me and I didn't care. It was better than being stuck at camp doing laungry, or getting a lecture from the almighty Shane.  
It didn't take long before they loaded up the vn, and someone jumped in the back.

"Let's go! We ain't got all day!" Daryl yelled, the horn honking loudly. As soon as everyone was ready, the van started and began to drive down the bumpy dirt road to the highway. Glenn and T-Dog were talking about cars while Daryl was threatening Rick. I'd almost blown my cover twice because Daryl was being such a dick. I had to wait until we were far enough from the quarry until I made my appearance so they wouldn't take me back. I was doing pretty well, until I felt something crawling up my arm and freaked out.

"Did you see that? I swear I saw that box move." I heard Glenn say, and that's when I sneezed. "Tell me I'm not imagining things!"

"Someone's in there." Daryl snapped and someone had removed the lid. I looked up, Daryl's angry face glaring down at me.

"Hi." I smiled, knowing full well I was in trouble.

"Stop the van. Now." he told Rick, and we pulled over. "What in the hell're you thinkin'?!"

"That I'm tired of doing laundry, of listening to the shit that comes out of Shane's mouth. Other than that I have no reasons why I decided to hide in that box. Stupid, I know. Just don't take me back to the quarry. Please. I'll do whatever you say." I said, looking from him to Rick.

"Since when do you talk, Cal?" Rick asked.

"Yesterday when I told Shane off. Ask him about it, I'm sure he'll have lots to tell you. Anyway, that's beside the pont. Don't make me go back, Rick. Turning back now would be a waste of both time and gas."

"Speaking of time, we should get going." Glenn called from the driver's seat.

"Ok. You can come. But don't leave my side. I mean it, Callie. You hear me?" Daryl hauled himself back in the van and I followed behind him. Glenn drove the rest of the way, and Rick sat in the back with us.

"You know each other, from before. I can tell by the way you interact." Rick observed, and I nodded. "I'll bet you got her to talk, huh? We've been tryin' for years, nothin' really seemed to work."

"He's just special." I patted Daryl's forearm, "No, we know each other from back when Uncle Paul took me. Daryl was the only person I had, who helped me and kept me alive."

"Thanks, Daryl. I'm bettin' you did more for Cal than any of us could imagine." Rick gave Daryl a genuine smile, and received a grunt in response. Daryl wasn't good at receiving compliments of any kind. "If things go smoothly I'll give you a handgun. 'Kay, Cal? You'll need it. Actually you should be armed now, just in case."

"Got a knife? I like 'em better. Not as loud." Shane had taught me to shoot not long after Mom died and we'd kept guns in the house.

"Here." Daryl handed me his hunting knife, fitting its sheath around my waist awkwardly as the van slowed to a stop.

"This is our stop, guys. We walk the rest of the way." Glenn unbuckled his seatbelt and we got out. He'd parked under an overpass just outside of city limits. It really looked dead here, felt it too. No cars, people, sirens... the normal fast pace of a city no longer existed.

Was civilization dead as well?

**|I meant to have this up three days ago, but of course things came up. Sue me.**  
**Callie is talking! Woo! And she stood up to Shane. I enjoyed writing this chapter, especially the bits with Shane.**

**Opinions? Like it? Hate it? I want to know!**

**Review, Favourite, Enjoy! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Middle Of The End**

_**Reviews:**__** the wonderful guest who gave me my first negative review in three months- thank you. but in case you haven't noticed, this is my fanfic and I'll do what I want with Shane. I've read way worse, so go lay an egg.**_  
_**Kitty2013- thanks. :) your review really made my day better!**_  
_**My other lovelies- thanks, and I hope you guys like this one just as much, if not more!**_

**Chapter Six: Not Giving Up**

Merle wasn't on the rooftop, but his right hand was. After Daryl wrapped it up and placed it in Glenn's bag we followed the trail of blood down several flights of stairs and through numerous rooms inhabited by silenced walkers. Daryl led us to a kitchen, where Rick found burnt flesh on a hot iron. The propane stove had been lit, and a small fire circled the front burners. Merle had cauterized his stump. I saw a bloody rag lying near a broken window, nudging Glenn.

"Guess we know how hw escaped." Glenn shrugged and stuck his head out the window.

"Careful!" I pulled him back. Daryl and Rick fought for several minutes and it was decided we would search the two surrounding blocks before going for the guns. Glenn came up with a game plan and he would be the one to grab the bag of guns as soon as we'd finished looking for Merle.

"Ok. But Cal goes with me. Got that, Rick?" Daryl glared at Rick.

"Fine by me." Rick nodded and we got ready to leave. According to Glenn, the bag of guns was sitting in front of a tank five blocks away; Glenn Daryl, and I would sneak to one of the alleys closest to the tank. It took about forty-five minutes to get there, but we were in no hurry. We still hadn't located Merle.

"You got some balls for a Chinaman." Daryl told Glenn, loading his crossbow.

"I'm Korean." Glenn rolled his eyes and ran into the street. Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone walking up behind us.

"Daryl. Someone's coming." I whispered.

"Stay behind me." He held his crossbow up and aimed for the person's head.

"No, wait! Don't shoot me!" a boy with a Spanish accent held his arms up. He was scrawny, and didn't really look like much. "What d'you want?!"

"I'm lookin' for my brother, he's hurt real bad. You seen 'em?" Daryl pushed him deeped into the alley, and he kept yelling for someone. "Shut up! You'll bring the geeks down on us!"

I went back to check on Glenn and the boy still wouldn't quiet down. I saw Daryl knock him to the ground and cover his mouth when four men came running towards us. One had a baseball bat, covered in slime and coagulated walker blood. He and one of the men attacked Daryl, the other two running my way. Glenn had run into the alley with the bag of guns; the men wanted the guns.

"Hey, leave him alone!" I pulled out the knife Daryl lent me and ran for the man with the bat, who had started hitting Daryl with it.

"Not so fast, missy." one of the men grabbed me from behind, wrenching the knife from my hand. It fell to the ground. "You're comin' with us."

"Leave her be!" Daryl growled; a car pulled up and Glenn was the first to be shoved in.

**w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w0w**

The men blindfolded us and tied our hands behind our backs, telling us to keep quiet. It was a quick drive, not even ten minutes later we were hauled out and led up several flights of stairs. The blindfolds were taken off and it took me a couple seconds for my eyes to adjust to the sunlight reflected from the bright white walls.

"Is this a hospital or what?" I asked a woman sitting on a bed next to an elderly man.

"Old folks' home. The staff just left them here to die. My brother and I came to check on our grandparents, and we've been here ever since." she explained. "I'm Rosie and this is my grandfather, Jorge Senior."

"Callie. He's Glenn. We were on a run in Atlanta for a bag of guns. And to look for someone we'd left behind. Your guys attacked the people we were with and then they took us." I said, and two men came in asking for Glenn to go with them. We didn't appear to be in any sort of danger; maybe they would give me something to eat. I was quite hungry, my apple was still in the back of the van.

"Hey, are you hungry? It's nearly lunch time. Come to the cafeteria and I'll make sure you get something to eat." Rosie offered. We helped Jorge Sr. down the hall and I sat with him at a table by the window. Three chihuahuas were asleep in a dog bed, and I bent down to pet them when I saw Rick's Sheriff hat out of the corner of my eye.  
No way!  
That little punk was with them, Daryl's crossbow poking into his back. It looked like they were negotiating, until Daryl started yelling. Rick somehow managed to calm him down, and they walked away. They wouldn't leave us here; Shane would have both their asses.  
Glenn came back and we ate canned soup when one of the patients began to wheeze. He was having an asthma attack. Glenn tried calming him down until someone came with his puffer.

"Callie!" Daryl all but screamed and nearly dropped his crossbow. Rick and T-Dog were with him, the punk kid hanging around Rosie. I really wanted to slap him, it was his fault we got in this mess. But seeing how swollen his face looked, I could only imagine that Daryl already had.

"Miss me?" I grinned and we were soon on our way; Rick had ended up giving some of the guns to the guy in charge. Daryl kept close to me all the way back through Atlanta. It was getting dark and Shane would be freaking out. I dreaded his reaction when he found out I'd been kidnapped by Vatos.

"It's probably best if we leave out the whole kidnappin' thing. Shane'll be worried enough as it is." Rick told us. He dug through the bag of guns, passed me a black handgun, and said to ask him for more ammo when I ran out.

"Thanks." I nodded, resting my head on Daryl's shoulder. We still had about an hour's drive ahead of us, and would have left Atlanta much earlier if our van hadn't disappeared. Rick and Daryl suspected Merle had taken it. "Daryl?"

"Yea?" he whispered.

"Thanks for not sendin' me back to camp earlier."

"It was nothin'. When we get back, stick close to me and I'll make sure Shane don't interrogate ya. 'Kay?"

"Alright. I'm not scared of him anymore so I'd be fine." I smiled as a breeze of night air came in through the open windows. According to T-Dog, we would be pulling into our camp in no less than ten minutes. I heard gunshots.

"Guys, did you hear that?" Glenn asked from the passengers' seat. T-Dog drove faster and that's when the screams begann, followed by more gunshots.

"Got yer gun?" Daryl loaded his crossbow, the car coming to an abrupt stop. "Don't leave my sight."

"Let's go!" Rick hollered and grabbed the gun bag. There were walkers everywhere; Daryl's crossbow wasn't fast enough, with him having to reload every time he shot one of the things so Rick handed him one of the rifles. The five of us took them down in no time at all, and hurried to our group. The kids were safe inside the RV, thank God. What stopped me in my tracks was Andrea, kneeling on the ground crying out for Amy. Amy was lying on the patch of dirt close to the rear end of the RV, blood gushing from a gaping bite on her pale neck. She was dying, we all saw that, and there was nothing we could do but watch. Andrea's sobs of anguish were tearing me apart to the point where I could no longer stand it. I caught Daryl's eye and nodded towards his truck.

"Y'know how you said you weren't scared of Shane anymore? Why were ya scared of him in the first place?" Daryl wondered after everything had settled down, and Shane had told me we'd talk in the morning.

"It's hard to explain. He's controlling. The was he towers over me, he's so big and strong. There is a certain coldness in his eyes that he only saves for me. He used to be really mean when we were kids, he was the most feared boy on the playground. No one crossed him, unless they wanted to be pushed around. In fact, the only person to stand up to him was Rick, and they've been friends ever since."

"He ain't ever hit you or anythin' though, has he? 'Cause I swear I'll knock his teeth down his throat."

"No. He'd never stoop that low. He was raised to never lay a hand on women or children. Just the mere thought of it pisses him off." I yawned loudly. "I think it's bedtime. Tomorrow is gonna be really busy."

"Yeah. You sleep in the tent, I'll keep watch."

**|Sooo... It's been a couple weeks. I'll try not to let that happen again. And hopefully the next chapter will be up no later than next week. **  
**Like it? Don't like it?**

**Let me know!**

**Review, Favourite, Enjoy! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Middle of The End**

_**Reviews:**__** Kitty2013- Once Shane is ... taken care of, Cal will more than likely want to become stronger and be able to defend herself against any walkers and misguided people. I'm really excited to start on Season Two soon. Oh the things I have planned... Thanks for bringing that up, though! :)**_

**Chapter Seven: After The Ice Melts**

I was up at sunrise, looking after Carl and Sophia while Carol and Lori helped clean up the campsite. Ed had been one of the first bit last night, along with Amy. Maria stayed in the RV with her kids, she didn't want them to see burning walkers or the dead bodies of people we'd lost. Shane hadn't had his 'talk' with me yet. He was busy with the men, discussing the situation on Andrea. She hadn't moved from her sisters' side and was crying silently. It was only a matter of time before Amy would wake up as an ever hungry flesh-eating monster.

"How are you feelin' today, Sophia?" I asked Sophia. We were sitting in the back of Daryl's truck eating roasted squirrel for breakfast.

"I'm alright. D'you think my Mom will be ok?"

"She'll be fine. Don't worry..." I trailed off, watching Daryl get mad at Glenn. "I'll be right back. You two stay here, don't leave this truck."

"Don't be gone too long." Carl said and handed me my new gun. I would have to remember to keep it on me at all times. You never knew what could go wrong. I told Carl and Sophia I would be back in five minutes, I wanted to know what was going on, how Andrea was. I couldn't cry for Amy. Knowing I'd lost a good friend made me sad, but she was in a better place now. She could no longer feel pain, sorrow, or dispair. And for that, I was glad. I hoped she was at peace with her loved ones on the other side.

"Cal." Daryl poked my arm. "You alright?"

Yeah, why?"

"You been standin' there with a blank look on your face for the past five minutes."

"I was just thinkin' 'bout Amy." I shook my head, hair falling into my face. "So what's goin' on? I saw you get mad with Glenn."

"It was nothin'. He wants to seperate the dead from the burn pile. Told him it was stupid an' he got all 'motional."

"Glenn's got a point. Where's Shane?" I couldn't see him anywhere and it kind of worried me.

"Behind the RV. He wants to shoot Amy before she attacks anyone. Frankly I agree with him, she's a time bomb."

"Andrea has her gun. Don't underestimate her; she'll do what has to be done. I have to get back to Carl and Sophia."

"I'm comin' with ya." Daryl ate half a squirrel before going back to burning walkers.

"Callie, are you and Daryl boyfriend and girlfriend?" Carl asked, and Sophia giggled.

"No, silly. We're just really good friends." I shrugged, "Why?"

"Just wondering. Were Mom and Shane really good friends, too?" My first thought, was he knew what went on between Lori and Shane. "If my dad hadn't come back they could have been boyfriend and girlfriend. I'm not stupid. I have eyes, and I've heard what people say about them."

"No you are most definitely NOT stupid, that's for sure. I'm really not the one you should be askin' though."

"No one tells me anything." Carl pouted and I felt sorry for him, because like him I was often overlooked and left out of things.

"Alright I'll tell ya. But not a word to anyone, especially your parents and Shane." I told him, not going into detail about Shane and Lori's relationship. He was still a bit too young, even though he'd turned twelve not that long ago. Just as I'd finished, Daryl stormed over, throwing the mallet in his hands to the ground. "Who dares to anger the Great Daryl Dixon?"

"Don't be mockin' me, Cal." he glared and let loose a long string of swear words and insults.

"He's been bit! Jim's been bit!" Jacqui yelled out in panic. Daryl, with his mallet, ran over with the other men.

"Aww, man! Just when I start likin' him he goes and gets bit." Carl, noticing how shocked I am, tries to explain what he means. "Well, he _**is**_ gonna die now."

I had nothing to say so I shook my head. Lori and Carol finally join us, busying the kids with a history book so we could talk and I ask what's going on.

"Shane thinks we should shoot Amy before she turns. He also wants to go straight to Fort Benning." Carol shook her head, "But Rick disagrees."

"Like I told Daryl earlier, Andrea can handle it on her own when Amy turns. She's not stupid, she can take care of herself. Besides, she should be the one to do it. It _is_ her sister." Lori and Carol agreed with me. Carol had been the one to 'take care of' Ed, with Daryl there to help if she'd needed it. "It's just something she needs to do on her own."

"I agree completely." Carol nodded and we watched the men fight over something, when Rick pulled his gun on Daryl. Shane says something and the gun is lowered, Daryl stomping off in our direction. Rick and Dale help Jim into the RV when we hear a gunshot, and Andrea stands up. Like I'd said, she was able to shoot Amy when the time was right. I knew she could do it.

"I'll be right back." I hurried off towards Daryl, bumping into Shane on the way.

"You alright?" he mumbled awkwardly. I nodded and walked away before he could say anything else. We had once been so close, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss it. But that was a long time ago.

"Hey." Daryl grumbled, throwing his crossbow to the ground.

"Careful! That might break one of these days if you don't watch out."

"Doubt that." he rolled his eyes. Dale waved us over to the firepit where he stood with T-Dog.

"We're having a burial in an hour." Dale said softly. His eyes were red and puffy, as if he'd been crying. He'd really cared about Amy.

"What's the point? They woulda died sooner or later anyways."

"Closure, Daryl. Don't be an ass because you're still messed up about Merle." I shot him a warning look, and he shut his mouth. If anyone else had said that to him he would have chewed them out. He didn't really want to go to the burial, obviously, and neither did I. But it was something we had to do and I made him go with me. Amy was the last to be lowered in a shallow grave dug by Jim; I guess he'd suffered from sunstroke while we were in Atlanta and dug a bunch of graves impulsively.  
Andrea and Dale sat there long after Amy had been buried, just crying. Dale wouldn't let her be alone and I didn't really blame him.

"C'mon. Before you start cryin' again." Daryl took my arm and led me back down to camp. While he cleaned his crossbow, I sat with Lori and Carl.

"Shane's been lookin' for you." Lori muttered so Carl wouldn't hear her. He was reading one of the history textbooks.

"Yeah I bet he has. What's he want now?" I rolled my eyes. And that's when I heard Daryl and Shane hollering at each other. I found them down by the lake, Daryl on top of Shane, punching him furiously. "Hey! What in the hell are you two doing?!"

Daryl looked up at me, a feral gleam in his eyes. Shane used this momentary distraction to his advantage and pushed Daryl off, hitting him with all his strength.

"Shane. Get off him. I swear to God I'll never speak to you again if you don't fucking explain yourself." I made the mistake of trying to wedge myself between them and was smacked in the face by Shane. Well that drove Daryl wild, and he pulled himself off the ground.

"Callie. I'm so sorry, I didn't see-" Shane was wacked on the head with Daryl's crossbow. He slumped to the ground and if I hadn't grabbed Daryl's wrist, things would have gotten far worse pretty quick.

"Daryl. Enough. Come and tell me what happened." We sat on the large rocks and Daryl handed me a rag for my bloody nose. It wouldn't really help my split lip much. "I forgot what it felt like to have your lip split open."

"I'm sorry." he whispered, his face splotched red. He looked awful - blood covered most of his face. There was a deep cut on his forehead, his nose was broken and bloody, lips split. He'd have black eyes in no time. And what was that, coming from his watery eyes?  
Was he crying?!

"Hey, it's ok. Everything will be ok." I didn't know what else to say, how to comfort him.

"No." he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I should've gotten you out sooner. Because of me, because of my father... something inside you broke. I never knew just how bad. Shane told me about the medical reports, the way you acted after they brought you home. Didn't talk, refused to eat. Screamed like hell if someone touched you. It's my fault, I shoulda protected you." he threw a rock, hard, into the water. "From _**them**_. You shoulda told me."

"I couldn't, of they woulda done it to you too. We were just kids. There was nothin' we could have done to stop them." I'd started crying too, flashbacks and memories of pain and absolute terror flooded my mind. "What matters now is whether we let the past control us or not. I don't think you know this, but you've saved me more than once. When I woke up in that hospital, I was furious. That you'd left me. For so long, you were all I'd had and then, just like that, you were gone. I didn't want to believe it at first, but you had saved me. You risked everything just to get me back to my family."

"I had to. I couldn't stand coming back from school and findin' you with fresh bruises, frest cuts, out cold in that stupid closet. I don't wanna remember you like that. But I do, every night. Sometimes I wake up, convinced yer dead."

"Is that why I see you standin' outside the RV at night, lookin' in through the window?" I smiled wetly before wiping my face and blowing my nose.

Daryl nodded and sat up straight, pointing in Shane's direction. "He's comin' 'round."

"Lovely. Will you go an' get Rick? Please? I'll be ok with Shane. I'm sure he's gonna feel terrible once he sees what he did to my face."

"Okay. You sure?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." I watched him as he walked up the steep and narrow path. And realized something, something I'd once thought was impossible.

"Callie? That you?" Shane sat up slowly.

"Yeah; you have some serious explainin' to do. Why were you and Daryl beatin' the crap outta each other?"

"Don't worry 'bout it. Your face..." his eyes widened as he remember what he'd done. "Oh God Cal, I'm so sorry. It was an accident. I didn't see you, I swear."

"I know. Daryl's gone to get Rick. They should be back any second. No more fightin' with Daryl. There's nothin' you can do or say that will make me stay away from him. The sooner you accept it, the better it will be. I love you, Shane, but sometimes you can be a real asshole. Please understand how much Daryl means to me." I turned around and walked back to camp.

Jim wasn't doing any better. We needed to make a decision, and soon. Before it was too late.

**|That did NOT turn out the way I'd planned. I've decided to skip the CDC, I find it boring and wriging it will probably give me writers' block. AGAIN.**  
**I didn't mean to go so long without writing, but stuff happens and I got busy. I've also been planning a Harry Potter fanfic, and working on several others.**  
**Woo, procrastination!**  
**I've also decided that I won't post a new chapter unless I get at least ten reviews.**  
**Anyways, I hope you've liked this chapter.**

**What do you think Daryl and Callie were referring to, when talking about the medical reports and what Will had done?**

**Review, Faaavourite, Enjoyyy! :)**

**Random Song: Props & Mayhem - Pierce The Veil**


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